The 4X4 Australia Ute of the Year

At $51,700 (plus on-roads) the D-Max LS-Terrain (automatic) is fourth down the price pecking order among our finalists. Despite its considerable cost advantage over the Ranger Wildtrak and a small saving over the Colorado LTZ, it more or less matches the Ranger for spec (no rear locker though) and betters the Colorado. The LS-Terrain is the top-spec model in the D-Max range.

4/33

At $51,700 (plus on-roads) the D-Max LS-Terrain (automatic) is fourth down the price pecking order among our finalists. Despite its considerable cost advantage over the Ranger Wildtrak and a small saving over the Colorado LTZ, it more or less matches the Ranger for spec (no rear locker though) and betters the Colorado. The LS-Terrain is the top-spec model in the D-Max range.

UTE OF THE YEAR 2012 | 4x4 Australia

This year's Ute of the Year field was a battle of past and present, with a reborn, and well proved, old-timer facing off against a high-tech foursome. Our six judges - Marcus Craft, Ron Moon, Fraser Stronach, Brad Newham, Matt Raudonikis and Justin Walker, with decades of combined vehicle-testing experience between them - would spend four days of intense testing and scrutinising to decide.

The five vehicles that qualified for 2012 4X4UOTY were subjected a test route comprised all potential conditions in which these vehicles would be used by owners: a mix of freeway, secondary back-roads, dirt roads and (very) steep and challenging national park and state forest tracks.